Brendan Rodgers complains of refereeing double standards after Man United’s Scott McTominay escapes with a yellow for lunge on James Maddison – after Leicester Ayoze Perez was sent off for similar challenge at West Ham
- Leicester felt Scott McTominay should have been sent off on Saturday
- Man United midfielder caught James Maddison as he stretched to win the ball
- Leicester’s Ayoze Perez was sent off for a similar challenge on Pablo Fornals
- Brendan Rodgers was disappointed with VAR decision to deny them a winner
Brendan Rodgers complained of refereeing double-standards after his side were denied a famous win at Old Trafford.
Leicester felt Scott McTominay should have been sent off for a lunge that caught James Maddison early in the second half and Rodgers also accused United defender Raphael Varane of ‘being clever’ to deny his side a winner through a VAR check.
McTominay escaped with a yellow card when he left Maddison in agony and United boss Ralf Rangnick took the hint by taking the midfielder off soon afterwards.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers lamented the inconsistency in Premier League officiating
‘We had a similar situation at West Ham earlier in the season when Ayoze Perez took a heavy touch and then caught his opponent.
‘He got a red card. Scott was heavily committed in his challenge after a heavy touch it could easily have been the same decision.
‘James had pain in his foot but we were thankful he could continue and played fantastically in the end.’
Maddison was also at the centre of another late controversy when he struck after 80 minutes only for the goal to be chalked off following a VAR check for a foul by Kelechi Iheanacho on Raphael Varane, who went down as if shot.
Rodgers was unhappy after Man United midfielder Scott McTominay avoided a red card
‘I am disappointed. Varane has used his experience. He gets the contact and goes down,’ added Rodgers, with Maddison also unhappy at the goal being ruled out.
‘The way Varane went down I thought it was a twist injury,’ said the midfielder. ‘I’m obviously going to be biased and say it’s not a foul. As soon as the referee went over to the monitor, I knew it was going to spoil my party.’
United interim Ralf Rangnick couldn’t hide his disappointment at another blow to his team’s prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.
McTominay caught Maddison as he stretched to win the ball after a heavy touch on Saturday
‘Right now, we are not the favourites to finish fourth,’ he acknowledged. ‘It doesn’t make the situation any better dropping another two points.
‘Our passing was sloppy in the first half but it doesn’t make the situation any better to look at the table every weekend and speculate. It is about preparing the next game against Everton.’
Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire impressed against his former club after being booed by England fans in midweek.
Leicester’s Ayoze Perez was sent off for a similar challenge on Pablo Fornals earlier this season
‘Harry is a good guy,’ said Rodgers. ‘The focus is lasered onto you at Manchester United, even more so as captain. But he has a strong mentality and will work through any difficulties.
‘He is a very important player for them which is why he was given the armband. He is a humble guy and he will get back to his level.’
Rangnick’s assistant Darren Fletcher seemed to be involved in a verbal spat with a fan who was led away after Leicester’s goal but the manager said he was unaware of the incident.
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